Operatives working for Elon Musk have gained unprecedented access to a swath of U.S. government departments, including agencies responsible for managing data on millions of federal employees and a system that handles $6 trillion in payments to Americans. This development has raised significant concerns about security clearances, cybersecurity practices, and the legality of Musk's activities.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a presidential advisory board within the Trump administration, has taken control of top federal departments and datasets over the past two weeks. Despite questions about their security clearances, cybersecurity practices, and the legality of Musk's activities, a small group of mostly young, private sector employees from Musk's businesses and associates can now view and, in some cases, control the federal government's most sensitive data held on millions of Americans and the nation's closest allies.

DOGE's access to federal departments and datasets represents the widest known compromise of federal government-held data by a private group of individuals. The lack of transparency and oversight has sparked concerns about cybersecurity and privacy practices, with many questioning whether DOGE staffers are following procedures to keep sensitive data from being accessed by other people.

Reports of questionable cybersecurity practices and the breakdown in long-standing cybersecurity norms have added to the concerns. For example, a DOGE staffer reportedly used a personal Gmail account to access a government call, and a newly filed lawsuit by federal whistleblowers claims DOGE ordered the connecting of an unauthorized email server to the government network in violation of federal privacy law.

The ease with which DOGE took over the departments and their vast stores of Americans' data has taken career officials and U.S. lawmakers by surprise. Efforts by Musk to take control of the nation's data stores have also privately alarmed cybersecurity professionals, who have spent their careers in government dedicated to securing Americans' most sensitive systems and data.

Questions remain about what level of security clearance the DOGE staff have and whether their interim security clearance gives them the authority to demand access to restricted federal systems. The confusion over DOGE staff clearances has led to brief standoffs between several career officials at federal departments in recent days.

Senators from the Senate Intelligence Committee have expressed their concerns, stating that they were still seeking answers about DOGE and what clearance its members have. The lack of information provided to Congress or the public about DOGE's activities has sparked widespread opposition, including from some Republicans.

DOGE's takeover of government departments has also raised concerns about national security risks, given the conflict of interest over Musk's extensive business operations in China. The access to sensitive federal payments systems, which contain personal information of millions of Americans, has been described as "the most significant data leak in cyber history."

The domestic and global ramifications of DOGE's activities are significant. There are untold security risks that come from granting access to the inner data core of the U.S. government to a group of unelected and private individuals with spurious vetting. The compromise of sensitive government data could have far-reaching consequences, including the theft of sensitive government information and the irretrievable loss of data.

Technology and privacy lawyer Cathy Gellis argues that Musk and his DOGE team are likely "personally liable" under the U.S. federal hacking law, known as the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, which covers the accessing of federal systems without the proper authorization. The question of how U.S. state governments will respond to the compromise of their residents' data at the federal level also remains to be seen.

In conclusion, the access granted to DOGE raises significant concerns about cybersecurity, privacy, and national security. As the situation continues to unfold, it is essential that the public and lawmakers demand transparency and accountability from the Trump administration and Elon Musk's team.